Coming Soon: Firefighter's Masks With Built-In Thermal Imaging

Are firefighter's masks about to get disrupted? Thermal imaging may be about to go mainstream in future masks. There have already been masks with these capabilities revealed, and now, straight out of Switzerland (or, more specifically, the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, better known as EPFL) comes the VIZIR, which will allow firefighters to see thermal imaging with an attached camera.

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Thermal imaging cameras are already in use by many fire departments, but they're both tremendously costly and have the potential to weigh a firefighter down. Mobility is crucial in any firefighting scenario.

"They really count on the thermal imaging camera, but it gets in the way and forces them to interrupt their search if they want to analyze a room," said Adrien Birbaumer and Martijn Bosch, the researchers behind the VIZIR project. The VIZIR has a thermal camera attached to the top of the helmet and can be moved easily.

While there are significant similarities between the VIZIR and the the competing firefighting helmet the Scott Sight, there are some differences as well: The Scott Sight has no external camera and a thermal viewer in the corner, while the VIZIR has its augmented reality images in the center.

And even if the two products are similar, competition in this marketplace could be crucial. High price points are what has kept smaller fire departments from taking advantage of existing technology, and if VIZIR and the Scott Sight end up competing, fire departments will likely reap the rewards.